Warner Home Entertainment today announced that their dual-format release of 'The Departed' is the highest selling high-def disc title, having moved over 100,000 units since its release in February of this year.

Those who keep track of such things may remember that back in March, Sony issued its own press release saying that the Blu-ray edition of 'Casino Royale' (released a full month after 'The Departed') had shipped 100,000 units. The key difference between the two announcements is that Sony's referred to the number of discs shipped, whereas Warner's refers to the number of discs sold.

The other key difference when comparing sales totals for 'The Departed' with any other release from a format-exclusive studio is that Warner's sales count for 'The Departed' includes sales of both the Blu-ray edition *and* the HD DVD edition, since Warner supports both high-def formats, a fact emphasized in the studio's press release, issued early Thursday morning.

"It's no accident that Warner is the first studio to reach this benchmark. We owe this success to a combination of great content and our decision to support both high definition formats... By releasing titles on HD DVD and Blu-ray, Warner Home Video not only increases our potential audience reach, but also offers consumers assurance that regardless of the format they choose they can enjoy our movies."

While Warner is not the only format-neutral studio, it has been the most aggressive, releasing more titles than any other studio, and even planning to release (and license to other studios) its own hybrid format (dubbed "Total Hi-Def") sometime later this year.

"High definition media represents an incredible opportunity for the industry, and we, as content providers, can help push mainstream adoption by producing in both formats and giving the consumer a simple choice," said Sanders. "At a time when the home video business is flat and high definition media presents our best hope for near term growth, it is unfortunate that we as an industry continue to perpetuate consumer confusion."

Founded in April 2006, High-Def Digest is the ultimate guide for High-Def enthusiasts who demand only the best that money can buy. Updated daily and in real-time, we track all high-def disc news and release dates, and review the latest disc titles.